As a Family
by Msynergy
Summary: Prince Charming finds himself saved by a certain damsel with a dagger, and the experience opens up some unexpected lines of communication.
1. Part 1

_As a Family_

Disclaimer: I wish, but no, I don't own the characters/show.

Author's Note: There's a sad lack of Emma and Charming fanfic out there, so here's my stab at remedying that.

"David!"

He braces himself, ready to take the blow, he'd been caught off guard and would pay for it, but before the blade falls the clang of another sword echoes in his ears.

Emma's sword, he realizes, opening his eyes in an instant to see his daughter standing between him and injury by one of the King's henchmen.

Returning the favor, he realizes, déjà vu washing over him.

But as she fights off his attacker, he admires her natural ability with a sword for too long, another minion slinking from the shadows right for them.

"Emma!" he hears himself shout in warning, scrambling to his feet, watching her fell their first opponent only to twirl at his cry, ducking the blow just as he manages to grab the sword of the first to meet their new enemy.

In seconds their second attacker is down, wounded like the first, and with ragged breath he helps her haul them in handcuffs to the sheriff cruiser she'd jumped out of to his aid, and then to the hospital.

It's all rather anti-climatic after the initial attack, with paperwork and everything even as he holds her bloody sword, but he gladly does it, his eyes not leaving Emma for an instant.

She looks fine, untouched, not a scratch on her, but he can't quite convince himself of that fact. It had been his fault she'd been in the fight in the first place. God, Snow was going to kill him for this, if he didn't beat her to it.

"Hey, ready to go?" the reason for his self-torture speaks up, looking tired but otherwise unfazed. Still-

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks, fight back the urge to reach out and touch her shoulder, to pull her in for a tight hug. They haven't reached that stage yet, but even knowing this he still has to clench his fist to stop himself. All that patience he'd once had is wearing very thin the face of tonight's events.

"Yeah, fine," she shrugs.

If she's lying he can't tell, that was something Snow was definitely better at parenting wise than him, but thinking of Snow reminds him of what they have to look forward to at home. They're both long overdue by now and he doesn't even want to look at his cell phone. This in mind he sighs, motioning for her to lead them out of the hospital.

But the second they pass through the automatic doors, Emma's knees buckle, and he's at her side in a heartbeat.

"Emma!"


	2. Part 2

_Part 2_

Disclaimer: I wish, but no, I don't own the characters/show.

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for all the interest in this story. Hope you enjoy part 2!

"I'm okay," she mumbles, trying to push him away, but the movement only causes her to stumble more, and he doesn't take no for an answer.

Slipping an arm around her waist and hooking her arm around his neck, he easily leads them towards the car, making sure she's buckled in before rushing to the driver's seat and fishtailing out the parking lot.

The way she's staring off into space makes him want to turn around and carry her right back into the hospital, but he also knows that look. Between Snow and himself and leading an army he knows the shock after the adrenaline rush of battle when he sees it. When you realize just how close to death you've been and it all comes crashing down on you.

Snow had glossed over their adventures in the Enchanted Forest, as there'd been bigger fires to put out at the time, but from what he'd managed to glean Emma had taken it surprisingly well. He can only assume that it's all finally catching up with his daughter after tonight's surprise. She hasn't had any time to decompress, only time to react, to deal with the next problem, and she's finally hit her breaking point.

"Oh Emma," he sighs, glancing over again, but when he does he does a double take.

He remembers that particular shade of green all too well from Snow's morning sickness to know that what happens next is not good. She really does take after her mother, but this time it's not a beautiful thing.

He just barely manages to stop the car, open her door and hold back her hair before she's retching into the gutter, the reality of it all sinking in in a horrible way.

But even with all this knowledge he can't hide his wince as he hears her empty her stomach, standing clear but keeping a steadying hand around her shoulders while the other keeps her hair out of harm's way. Better to get it out now than suffer later, he sighs, resisting the urge to tighten his grip when he feels her finally spit and shudder. But while he lets go of her hair he keeps his arm around her, just in case.

"Better?" he asks, wishing he had water to offer her, but there'll be water at the apartment, assuming they get back eventually.

She swallows hard, and nods, but her eyes refuse to meet his.

"Emma?" he asks again, biting his tongue right after he does. He'd told Snow not to push once, and yet here he was doing just that. But he'd only just gotten them back, so sue him if he's feeling a little overprotective. Though it was that overprotectiveness that had found him out on his own, and caught without his sword. If Emma hadn't been there-

"Thanks, by the way."

"What?" that does get her to look at him; he'll call it a win.

"You saved my life back there. I'm thanking you."

She shrugs, "Seemed like the right thing to do. I forgot something at the station and was running back for it when I spotted them sneaking up on you. Why were you out here anyway? And who were those goons? I thought you went to Granny's for a pie run?"

The right thing to do. The _honorable_ thing to do. And just like that he's taken back in time, the blonde in front of him suddenly raven haired with green eyes instead of his blue.

"What? What did I say? Hello, anyone home?" But Emma quickly snaps him back to reality.

Right. She didn't know he'd taken to making rounds on his own, checking on the people of Storybrooke, not even Snow knew. He hadn't thought that George would make his next move so public, but he'd underestimated the man's malice in this world, something he would not be doing again. But Emma does not need to know this now; she has enough on her plate. So as her eyes narrow at him he scrambles for something, anything else to say, and the first thing that pops out of his mouth is-

"You really are your mother's daughter, you know that?"


	3. Part 3

_Part 3_

Disclaimer: I wish, but no, I don't own the characters/show.

Emma's face quickly reddens at the mention of Snow, shaking her head unconsciously at the connection.

"Hey," he stops her, moving his hand from her shoulder to cradle her head before he realizes it, "You are, and you should be proud of that fact. I know I am."

All she does is stare at him, and as he pulls his hand away he's starting to worry that he's pushed things too far, that she wasn't ready for this step. But she has to know, she has to understand how every time he looked at her he couldn't believe how lucky he was to be her father.

"The thing is, when we were in the Enchanted Forest or whatever, Mar-Snow was always telling me how much I took after you."

Now that gets his attention.

"Oh did she now?" he asks, smirking, "Let me guess it's because you got my amazingly good looks right?"

She snorts, unable to hide a small smile, "More like how I drove her up a wall because I was so damn stubborn."

He laughs, "Of course she would say that. Though between you and me, I think you got both our stubborn streaks combined."

"Hey!" she protests, smacking his shoulder, which only makes him laugh more.

"I take it you're feeling better?" He asks, and she nods.

"Good, let's go home, huh?" he smiles, reaching out to grip her shoulder one last time before getting up and walking back to the driver's side door.

The rest of the ride passes in somewhat comfortable silence, and it's only when they get out and are walking towards the building entrance that Emma stops them.

"What? What's wrong?" he asks, glancing around for more foes, wondering if she'd heard something.

"I- I just, thanks. For what you said, about being proud of me. I know I didn't deserve it after losing my lunch back there, so thanks for saying it anyway."

He's floored, well and truly floored. Did she honestly think he'd said that to her in spite of throwing up? That the chaos that is their lives finally catching up with her somehow makes her weak? It makes him feel sick himself to think of what kind of environment she'd grown up in to believe that any praise from a parent needs to be justified, that she had to earn his admiration and love.

Before James can stop himself his arms are around her, holding on as she tenses, but finally, after several long seconds, he feels her hug him back.

"Now you listen to me, kiddo," he whispers, "It doesn't matter if you think you don't deserve it, I'm gonna be proud of you no matter what. I was proud of you from the day I first found out about you, and that's never going to change."

He wants to replace "proud" with another word, he wants to so much, but he can feel in his gut that she isn't ready for it yet, so he waits, letting the word he can use sink in.

"This is nice," she murmurs after a long moment, finally pulling away.

"What is?"

"This. Having a dad looking out for me. Foster dads generally didn't care much."

He wants to punch something thinking of the meaning behind that statement, but he also feels the love that bursts from his heart that he's able to be there for her now, and it overwhelms the crippling sadness that others hadn't been in the past, that he hadn't been.

"Well, don't ever wonder if I'll be looking out for you, Emma," he replies, this time having no reservations about reaching out and grasping her shoulders. Her gaze meets his, and for all the years of hurt that he sees there, there is also hope, and it peeks out at him now, asking him if he will be like all the others.

And he answers, "You better get used to me being around, kiddo. I've got decades of embarrassing dad moments to make up for."

"I am so screwed," she groans, but that smile on her face says it all, and he laughs, squeezing her shoulders one last time before they resume their walk to the apartment.

"So what do we tell Snow?" she asks.

"Well, no matter what we tell her we should probably down-play the life threatening parts."

Emma laughs as she steps through the foyer door he holds open for her.

"You got it, Pops."

He freezes. Pops, not exactly "dad" but damn if he'll take it!

"Hey! You gonna ditch me to face the music alone or what?"

In an instant he's back by her side, and this time with a smile he can't seem to shake, even as Emma reaches for the door only to have it thrown open by a livid Snow.

"You two inside! Now!"


	4. Part 4

_Part 4_

Disclaimer: I wish, but no, I don't own the characters/show.

Author's Note: So here be the final part! Thank you to everybody who reviewed/favorited, it means a lot. Enjoy!

They file into the apartment like squires after their knight, and equally as kowtowed. But he notices Emma can't stop herself from pulling a face at Henry who watches the proceedings from the kitchen island, and he hastily he bumps her arm with an elbow just as Snow spins to face them, pinning them both with her glare.

"So help me you both better have a good excuse for not answering your phones!"

"Snow, please-" he starts.

"Oh no, don't you 'Snow, please' me! I heard the cruiser siren! Henry and I were worried sick! So I say again, this better be good!"

"Would you believe me if I said James came across a fire breathing dragon on main street and I was helping him kill it?" Emma jumps in before he can speak, and he gapes at her. Just what was she-

"Emma-" Snow warns.

"No really! Huge fangs and everything!"

"Oh cool!" Henry exclaims, running past Snow to cling to Emma, "Did you slay it? Can I see?"

"Henry!" Snow tries, but fails to get a word in edge wise as Emma artfully depicts his and her "amazing heroism" to her son.

And suddenly he understands just what she's done. There'll be no interrogation now, Emma has seen to that, and quite masterfully if he does say so himself.

"Charming, please tell me whatever happened to you two out there wasn't that dangerous," Snow sighs, walking up to fit in the niche his arm creates for her. A perfect fit every time, he marvels, but forces himself to focus on her question.

"Do you want the truth?" He asks, catching her eye, ready to tell her everything if she wishes it.

"Honestly, I can tell I'm probably better off not knowing the details by the way you've avoided the subject. But are you okay? Is she?" Snow gestures.

Emma and Henry have since devolved into a dragon battle all their own, Emma playing the fierce beast as Sir Henry fought valiantly against her with his wooden sword.

It's a scene that makes him smile, but he can't completely enjoy the moment while Snow's worried energy hangs in the air. Moving to wrap his other arm around her, he pulls his wife closer, breathing her in as he presses a kiss to her temple.

"We are okay. There was some danger tonight that we were preoccupied with, and we'll all have to be more cautious from now on, but it's nothing we can't handle together."

"As a family?" Snow smirks, pushing back just enough to meet his gaze.

"As a family," he smiles back, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her lips.

"Ew! We're right here you know!" Henry shouts, breaking the spell they've fallen under and making Snow laugh as she looked to their grandson and daughter. The boy is currently in a headlock thanks to Emma, but he'd still been able to see enough to comment. And James also has to laugh, because for as much of a believer in true love as he is, Henry is most definitely still a boy.

"You better mind your words, Prince Henry," Snow grins, moving to sidle up to Henry, "You never know when true love will find you one day!"

As if in mutual agreement Emma releases Henry just as Snow attacks, tickling the kid for all she's worth. But his helpless flailing to get away only sends both him and Snow to the floor in a pile of laughter, and in-between the giggling and grinning, Emma's gaze meets his from the sidelines, her small smile saying it all.

And he easily smiles back, but much more mischievously as he asks, "So, does Henry get his ticklishness from you?"

"Oh no, don't you dare-!"


End file.
